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HEALTHY LIFESTYLE · OCTOBER 2017<br />
SCARED OF<br />
BREAST CANCER?<br />
HERE'S WHAT TO DO<br />
The day began like every other: a<br />
quick shower, a bite <strong>to</strong> eat, and mad<br />
dash out the door in hopes I would<br />
make it <strong>to</strong> work on time, except this<br />
time, I never made it past step one.<br />
Here I was, a working twenty-something-yearold<br />
with big dreams, huge goals, and a small<br />
lump in my breast that had the potential <strong>to</strong><br />
wipe everything away.<br />
I was <strong>to</strong>o young for breast cancer. I did not<br />
know anyone who’d had it. I had no family<br />
his<strong>to</strong>ry of it. Yet, there I was, hands shaking,<br />
knees quaking, heart beating out of my chest.<br />
I had a lump and didn’t know what <strong>to</strong> do<br />
about it.<br />
I ran out of the restroom in nothing more<br />
than a <strong>to</strong>wel and a flood of tears and asked<br />
my roommate <strong>to</strong> feel it. Panic did not even<br />
begin <strong>to</strong> define what happened in the next<br />
few minutes. We were a mess, a pair of<br />
inexperienced ‘kids’ who thought the world<br />
had come <strong>to</strong> an end.<br />
An emergency call <strong>to</strong> my general practitioner<br />
led <strong>to</strong> an office visit, a mammogram, a<br />
diagnostic mammogram, and an ultrasound.<br />
Techs were on standby for a biopsy. The<br />
radiologist hovered nearby. I thought my fate<br />
was sealed. I had breast cancer and life as I<br />
knew it had come <strong>to</strong> an end.<br />
The consummate professional, the<br />
radiologist leaned over me as my heart beat<br />
uncontrollably out of my chest and said that I<br />
had what looked like a fibroadenoma (a noncancerous<br />
tumor). Other tests followed, my<br />
brush with a devastating diagnosis was over,<br />
but the lessons learned will forever be a part<br />
of me.<br />
One seemingly innocuous shower <strong>to</strong>ok me<br />
down a road I did not think possible at my<br />
age. I was not even doing a breast exam.<br />
A quick turn, a jarring movement, a near<br />
slip and fall and I felt a lump. My almostnightmare<br />
taught me a valuable lesson.<br />
Breast health was nothing <strong>to</strong> ignore. It did<br />
not take long before my friends, and I were<br />
talking about it, and more importantly,<br />
marking our calendars <strong>to</strong> make out monthly<br />
checks. Our lives depended on it. Something<br />
that we thought couldn’t <strong>to</strong>uch us until we<br />
were older proved <strong>to</strong> be just as dangerous<br />
for us as it was for anyone.<br />
After several tests, many appointments, and<br />
countless hours of research, I finally had my<br />
lumpec<strong>to</strong>my. During those agonizing weeks<br />
between lump <strong>to</strong> diagnosis <strong>to</strong> how <strong>to</strong> treat<br />
my condition, I became very introspective. I<br />
devoured information and had many heart<br />
<strong>to</strong> heart talks with my loved ones. I recreated<br />
myself. I learned <strong>to</strong> eat better, become more<br />
vigilant in my approach <strong>to</strong> my health, and<br />
<strong>to</strong> live a more purpose-driven life. I put my<br />
body and my health first. Somehow, nights<br />
out didn’t seem as relevant any longer. Drinks<br />
and late-night binges<br />
were not all the rage.<br />
I let go of my "devil<br />
may care" attitude<br />
and learned <strong>to</strong> make<br />
better choices. Natural<br />
products replaced my<br />
go-<strong>to</strong> favorites. Real<br />
food became a <strong>to</strong>p<br />
priority. Living trumped<br />
everything else in my<br />
life.<br />
While I hope and pray<br />
no one, no matter <strong>their</strong><br />
age ever finds a lump,<br />
I know that my health<br />
scare changed my life<br />
for the better.<br />
By Sarah Wester<br />
24 HEALTHY MAGAZINE